


Sea Caresses

by AlotikaWolf



Category: Free!
Genre: Free! Mer AU, M/M, Mer AU, first fic in a long time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-01-24 10:33:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1601726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlotikaWolf/pseuds/AlotikaWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young sailor is saved by two mysterious but handsome creatures. As he has lost everything he cares about, starting a new life doesn't sound so bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

He had been one of the many victims in the incident. Their ship had been destroyed in the vicious storm and he was lucky to even be alive. His body hurt everywhere and he had to stop the bleeding somehow. He swam what seemed to be hours, accidentally gulping down the sea water and coughing multiple times. His vision was going blurry, he had to get to shore or he wouldn't make it. In one last ray of hope, his used his remaining energy to pump his arms and legs through the violent waters.

"Almost there...!", he exhaled sharply, finally feeling sand beneath his hands and feet. He dragged himself deeper into the shore, and once he thought he was safe, collapsed into the ground. He took deep breaths, ignoring the pain that came with it. He knew he had to find help, but the warm sand against his skin lulled him and a deep haze covered his eyes. He wasn't going to make it. 

~

They had found him laying on the beach, covered in gashes and unconscious. Rin was the first to notice, thanks to his heightened sense of smell. They swam up to the shore, curious but wary of the unmoving body. Haruka was the first to approach him, a slender hand reached out and gently touched his face. 

"Is he alive?", Haruka wonders out loud. 

"Beats me", Rin shrugs and grabs the closest limb to him. Examining the funny looking limb with smaller limbs attached to it. 

"He...sounds dead", Rin says when he puts the limb to his ear, hearing nothing.

"Idiot", Haruka glares at Rin and lowers his head to the body's chest. Listening for a heartbeat. 

The skin felt cold and clammy, but there was indeed a heartbeat, slow and faint. Haruka raises his eyes to the brown head, examining his face. 

"What do we do?", Haruka asks, raising his head and gently touching the dried blood and scratches on the body. 

"Leave him? I doubt we can do anything about him", the red-head says scornfully. 

Haruka glares at Rin once more and thumps his tail against the sandy ground. 

"We can't do that. He's alive, we need to get him to a safer place", he says.

Rin growls and crosses his arm. "Why? He's a human, our sworn enemies, they don't deserve any help from us." 

"Just help me", Haruka says as he reaches under the brown head's shoulders, dragging him across the sand. 

Rin grumbles but reaches out to help Haruka. Together they drag him across the sand and into the sea water again.


	2. Curious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin spends some time with the human. A very weird thing occurs.

Rin didn't know humans could sleep so much, not that he really cared. He stared at the sleeping face, watching over him while Haruka was away hunting for food. Bored out of his mind, he checked the human's wounds again and again, re-bandaging them with their healing seaweed. With a sigh, he leaned his head against his hand and went over the previous day's events. 

Haruka and Rin had taken the brown-head to their little island they called home. A large water cave sat at the edge of the island and that is where they would sleep. Though Haru liked to sleep under the moon light most days, saying he felt more rested under the moon. Rin didn't mind where he slept as long as he was close to Haruka. Sometimes waking up in the middle of the night to find Haruka had scooted away. He would glare at Haru but move closer again, sometimes taking Haru's hand to prevent him from scooting away again. 

Rin blushed lightly as his head reminisced on thoughts he shouldn't be. He poked the human's stomach continuously as his mind went back to the human. They had placed him on the island's shore, close enough to the trees to get some shade but not too far as to not drag themselves so much from the ocean. They had cleaned and dressed his wounds with the healing seaweed Haruka had found and has been sleeping ever since. His shallow breathing had subdued and his skin looked more vibrant and healthy, but he still wouldn't wake up. It's been almost three days. Not that Rin really cared, he would have eaten the human if it wasn't for Haru. For some reason Haru had been keen on saving the human's life. Rin really had no clue what went through Haru's mind sometimes. 

He shrugged and continued poking at the human, his stomach was surprisingly soft but well-toned. He wouldn't admit it to Haruka but this human was pretty good looking. He scooched closer and examined the human's face. He had messy light brown hair, a strong jaw and kind of a cute nose. His lips were parted and probably dry but he wondered how it would feel like to ki-woah! woah! wait a minute! Why is he thinking about that? What the hell? Rin's brows furrowed in disgust. He leaned back and studied the human face again. His eyes roving the handsome face. But really though, how would it feel to kiss a human? A small blush crept up his cheeks as he thought it over. Maybe a small taste wouldn't be so bad. Hmmm. Definitely. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, which is kind of ridiculous as he's the only one on the island at the moment. But he would probably die of embarrassment if Haruka caught him. With a quick look around he leaned his head over the human's face. Inching closer, he could feel his heart thumping, what the hell. He stopped his lips right over the human's, thinking maybe this wasn't a very good idea. He leaned back a bit. Ah fuck it, let's just get it over with. Rin crushed his lips against the humans, as he expected they were dry but soft. He had closed his eyes for the collision and when he opened them, he was met with a beautiful clear green. Shocked ones at that. 

"AAAHHH!", the human screamed, or tried to, as Rin's lips muffled his scream. Rin's eyes widened and he jumped back. Putting distance between him and the human. holy fuck. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest. Rin took deep breaths, willing himself to calm down. He looked back at the human. Who was sitting up and staring right back, a hand on his lips and a horrified expression on his face. 

"Um...hi", Rin said sheepishly, a hand automatically rubbing the back of his neck. oh boy, wait until Haru hears about this one. Wait, he's definitely not hearing about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, Rin is so fun to write. Don't ask me how merpeople know how to swear. 
> 
> Next chapter Haru will get to meet the just awoken Makoto! :D 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left Kudos! I appreciate it! <3


	3. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru takes care of the human!

Haru's hunt went surprisingly well, he caught multiple fish including his favorite fish mackerel, and a couple of crabs for Rin, who liked to gnaw on the shells with his overly pointed teeth. It was kind of cute when Rin could be entertained for hours just gnawing away, he would never admit it to him though. He carried the sea grass-made net over his back and swam for home with a hint of a smile on his face. Content with his catch.  


As Haru neared his home he heard a loud muffled screaming and quickly swam to shore. He caught the sight of Rin jumping back from a terrified looking human. Rin looked startled and took deep breaths. 

"Um...hi", Rin said to the horrified human. Haruka cocked an eyebrow. 

"What did you do?", Haru spoke, startling Rin and making him jump. 

"H-haru?! Wh-When did you get here?!", Rin asked, concerned. "Did you see....?", he asked cautiously. 

"I heard the scream and came rushing, I just got here. See what?", Haru said suspiciously. 

"N-nothing, nevermind", Rin looks away, a hint of pink in his cheeks. 

Haru shrugged and looked towards the human, he was awake and seemed completely terrified of them. Thinking maybe food will calm him, Haru reaches into his fish bag and pulls out a mackerel. He gently pushes himself towards the human, the human watches him intensely and flinches when he gets too close. Haru extends his hand and offers him the fish, causing the human to give off a tiny squeak and lean back. After a couple minutes of staring he sets the fish down in front of the human and moves back farther. Watching him closely, he goes back to his fish bag to retrieve the rest of his catch. 

Rin quickly moves up to him, "Did you get my crab?", he says hopefully. Haruka nods and hands him a crab. Rin grins and grabs it, "Thanks!", he smiles as he puts the crab in his mouth and starts gnawing. Haruka would never understand the joy of gnawing a crab. He settles down and starts to eat his meal, glancing at the lonely human every so often. 

The human hasn't moved from his spot, staring at the fish Haru had sat in front of him. He seemed calmer but still flinched away when either of them got too close. Rin had tried talking to him, but all he got were bewildered looks and confused expressions. He even tried smiling and that backfires quickly, his sharp teeth scaring the poor human. Rin gives up and goes back to Haru, shrugging at him. Haru decides to give the human time and space, they go back to their water cave for the night. 

***

The next morning, Haru checks on the human and finds him sleeping, unmoving from his spot, fish still on the sand. He was curled up in a tight ball, holding his own sleeve tightly. Haru moves closer and slowly shakes his shoulder, willing him to wake up. The human frowns and flutters his eyes open. Haru sees a beautiful green ocean and becomes entranced. A loud whimper startles him back to reality and he watches as the human moves away. Haru frowns, not liking that this human was so afraid of him. He moves closer again, pointing at the human's wounds and the seaweed he had in his other hand. The human stares at him, looking from his wounds to the other's hand. He seems to understand and nods slowly at Haru. Haru nods himself and approaches the human, carefully removing the old dried up seaweed from the wounds and applying the new seaweed. It takes a couple minutes to replace all of the old seaweed and during so the human can't seem to stop glancing at Haru. Haru catches him looking at his shimmering tail multiple times, and they make eye contact a few times as well, the human instantly looking away. When Haru is done, he picks up the old seaweed and nods at the human, he nods back and says something Haru doesn't understand. 

Haru goes back to the water cave to wake up Rin and have breakfast. They sit on the shoreline eating while the human stares at them. Haru hears a low grumble coming from his direction. If he didn't like the fish, maybe he'll like the crab? He grabs a crab from his fish bag and pushes himself towards the human.

"Hey! That's my crab!" Rin pouts. "Not anymore. Besides I caught it", Haru replies back, giving Rin a glare. Rin glares back but continues to munch on his meal. 

The human watches him as Haru approaches, handing him the crab and making eating motions. The human surprisingly giggles but raises his hand and shakes his head. Haru is a bit surprised but leaves the crab next to the fish and goes back to Rin's side. They leave after a while, deciding to race each other to pass some time. 

When they come back to check on their human, he's nowhere to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaa, I'm so sorry guys!! My summer became unbelievably busy and I haven't had the time to sit down and write. ;w; 
> 
> Fortunately(or unfortunately) I came down with the flu and my world pretty much stops until I get better. OTL 
> 
> So with nothing else to do I decided to get my ass back in gear and write a new chapter! 
> 
> Also did you see that Mer!Haru is canon??? I screamed when I saw the ending of Eternal Summer. :'D I was originally going to have Haru with a dolphin tail and Rin with shark tail but the canon one is so much prettier. 
> 
> I'm really tired of writing "the human" all the time and I don't know how I'm going to change that since the mermen speak a different language than Makoto. ;w; This is going to be difficult.
> 
> Anyway! I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter! Thanks for everything! <3


	4. Hello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto introduces himself to his saviors.

Makoto had waited for them to leave before gently standing up and inspecting his injured body. His wounds had healed surprisingly fast, the seaweed the merman had used seemed to help greatly. He was sore but he could move without much trouble. Looking around, he dusted himself off and started walking towards the jungle. Not only did he needed to find food and fresh water but get his mind off the two beautiful creatures that had saved his life. 

The surprise kiss the redhead merman had given him had been his first kiss, back then it didn't matter much as he had been scared out of his wits. Now thinking about the scenario he chuckled at how amusing both him and the merman must have looked and blushed a little. The redhead didn't seem to want to cause harm, maybe just curious. It was just his luck that he would wake up right then. Makoto smiled slightly and continued walking, trying to memorize the path he was taking. 

After what seemed like a couple hours, Makoto came upon a small creek, seeing its shining clear water had Makoto stumbling to get to it. He quickly kneeled in front of it and splashed his face, relief showering him as he cupped his hands and drank. After drinking as much as he could he sat by the creek and organized his thoughts. What was he going to do? He was stranded in the middle of nowhere. Would anyone find him? Would he survive? What about his family? Were they alright? They had been in the same boat. When the boat collapsed, his family had stayed together, hugging each other as the waves hit them. His siblings were screaming his name, his father had tried swimming up to him, yelling to him to swim, but Makoto was paralyzed. His fear of the ocean had hit him head on and he was terrified. The last thing he remembered was his father being submerged by a large wave. 

Makoto jumped, sweat building on his brow, he couldn't think of that right now, he shook his head and splashed himself again. He took a moment to calm down and decided to continue on his search for food. The only thing he could do right now is survive and hope that his family was okay. 

After searching for food, Makoto had found banana trees, he took extra care while climbing and lowered the ripest batch he could find. Happy with his find he decided on heading back the way he came. Getting lost a few times, he managed to get himself back on the beach safely. He looked up to the shore and found the two mermen arguing with each other, clicking angrily and baring teeth. Makoto watched as the redhead threw sand at the other's chest and huffed, looking away and suddenly catching his eyes. Surprise spread over the redhead's features as he caught the sight of Makoto. He clicked rapidly and used his hand to shake the dark-haired merman who was facing the sea with crossed arms and an angry pout. 

Makoto chuckled and couldn't help think that they looked like an old married couple. Lowering his banana batch on the sand, he sat down next to it and pulled a couple of bananas off. Suddenly his stomach grumbled and he realized how hungry he really was. Pulling a couple more of the yellow fruit he peeled each one and ate them in a hurry. When he was satisfied he looked up to find the mermen awfully close and staring at him. His stomach dropped and he couldn't help give off a tiny squeak of surprise. They're harmless right? They've helped him to shore and healed his wounds, he shouldn't be so scared of them. Mermen were suppose to be creatures of fairy tales, but instead they're sitting a couple feet away from him and not just one but two. They haven't shown any aggression towards him but he was still wary and cautious. 

Makoto slowly raised his hand and pointed at himself, "I'm Makoto Tachibana, thank you for helping me out during the storm, I really appreciate it.", he says gently. The mermen stare at him intently and the dark haired one moves a bit closer. Makoto shrinks back a bit. 

"Maaaaaaa....", the redhead says suddenly. Both Makoto and the other merman stare at him, Makoto giving him an encouraging smile. 

"Maaak....o...", the redhead frowns and clicks at him, Makoto chuckles.

"Makoto", the dark haired merman interrupts, and Makoto's eyes widen. 

"Yes! That's me!" Makoto says happily, pointing at himself again and smiling. The dark haired merman smiles slightly as the redhead clicks at him angrily and huffs. Makoto watches as they start to click and snarl at each other again, and he thinks this might not be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaahaha, okay yeah I really have no excuse for not updating for so long...
> 
> I just lost motivation and I was stuck in the middle of this chapter for so long OTL
> 
> Sorry! Hope you enjoy!


	5. Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru and Rin start to develop a friendship with Makoto.

"This is all your fault!", Rin shrieks at Haru. They had just arrived from their daily race and were surprised to find their human had disappeared. Haru glares and looks away, denying Rin's accusations. 

"If you hadn't stopped to swim with your dolphins, we could have prevented this from happening!", Rin snarls, showing his pointy teeth. At the sight of that Haru snarls back and raises himself on his tail. Rin does the same as they continue to bicker. 

"I didn't think he had the energy to get anywhere", Haru says defensively. 

"You think he left on his own? What if some in-land monster got him? What if he's currently screaming for help and we can't do anything about it?", Rin fights back.

Haru makes a pained face at that. "I...don't know..", he says quietly. Rin glares and grabs a handful of sand and throws it at the other's chest. He huffs angrily and turns his head towards the beach and tree lines. Surprise overtakes him as he finds himself staring at warm green eyes. 

"Ah- ...Haru!!", he gasps, reaching over to shake the other's shoulder, quickly forgetting they had been arguing. Haru's eye twitches, ready to bite Rin's hand off until he turns around and sees their human standing on the sand. His eyes widen and he quickly gives their human a quick look over, he didn't look injured but he was carrying a large something over his shoulder. They both watch curiously as their human sets down what he was carrying and pluck several sticks from it. What is that? They slowly inch closer as their human sits down and starts to peel and eat the sticks..? 

Once he seems satisfied he looks up and gives off a surprised tiny squeak when he sees them. Haru wonders how a strong looking human like him can make such an innocent sound. Their human looks like he's thinking for a bit, then they watch as he raises his hand and points at himself. 

"I'm Makoto Tachibana, thank you for helping me out during the storm, I really appreciate it", he says. Having only learned small tidbits of the human language around the world, his speech was barely able to register in their heads. One thing was for sure though, his name was Makoto and he had a voice like soft peaceful rain. 

They both stare at him and Haru has the urge to get closer, so he does. Makoto shrinks back a bit causing Haru to frown slightly. Was he scared of them? Why would he be scared? His heart aches a bit at the thought, he stares at Makoto as he tries to think of reasons. His thoughts are briskly cut off by Rin's voice though, and Haru turns his head towards the other merman. 

"Maaaaaaa....", Rin says, earning the other's two uninvited attention and a smile from their human. 

"Maaak....o...", Rin tries again but fails, he frowns and clicks, blaming Makoto for his troubles. Said human chuckles at him. 

"Makoto", Haru interrupts, his human speech a lot better than Rin's. He watches as Makoto's eyes widen, happily saying "Yes! That's me!", as he points at himself and smiles. Haru's heart beats faster at the sight of their human and he can't help a small smile that sneaks past his lips. 

"Haru you asshole!", Haru's delight quickly dissipates as he hears Rin's angry remark. 

"You did that on purpose! I was getting to it!", Rin snaps and Haru quickly snaps back, not realizing both mermen were being watched by amused eyes.

Their arguing went on for a little while longer until their ears caught the sound of laughter. They both froze and looked towards the sound. Their human was holding his stomach, and a pleasant laughter was heard from his lips. 

"I can't believe you two!" he says. "Are you always like that?", he asks, wiping a tear from his eye. He takes deep breaths to calm himself, and Haru and Rin glance at each other, both feeling strangely shy. 

"Yes...?", Haru says cautiously, not really sure what to make of the situation. Makoto smiles at them. 

***

A quiet rumble is heard in the distance and all three look up to see cloudy skies. Makoto's face flashes with worry. "Ah...I still haven't made a shelter", he mumbles to himself quietly but loud enough for Haru to hear. Haru glances at Rin.

"It's going to rain soon, and he has nowhere to go", Haru says, speaking to Rin. Rin's brows furrow and seems deep in thought. 

"Should we take him to the cave? He could stay there for now", Rin suggests. Haru nods and looks back at Makoto. 

"Rain...soon...shelter...cave...follow...us", Haru manages to say, his human speech more rusty than he originally thought. Makoto's eyes widen and he quickly nods. He stands up as the two merman make their way back to sea, picking up his food and following after them. 

Rin and Haru swim close to shore, occasionally glancing back to their human to make sure he's still following on land. A large rock structure soon comes into view and the mermen stop. A large cave is facing the sea, sea water feeding into the mouth. Small flat rock surfaces litter the opening and eventually become bigger until there is only rock at the back of the cave. Raised rock slabs gather at the end, far away from any contact with water. The mermen had been pretty happy with this find when they decided to migrate. 

Haru watched as Makoto cautiously made his way towards the cave opening, staring in awe at the huge structure. Rin swam closer and reached out his hand for Makoto to take. Makoto smiled at him and took his hand carefully, slowly making his way through the small wet rock surfaces and towards the back of the cage. Rin held his hand until they reached the large rock surface, Haru following quietly behind. 

Once Makoto was safely on the rock, he took a deep breath and exhaled, turning towards Rin and said "Thank you", something Rin did understand and flashed him a grin. The two merman watched Makoto set down his food then walk around and begin to explore their cave, touching the walls and running his fingers through the cracks. 

"I've never seen anything like this, it's amazing", he says, glancing at the mermen. Haru understands and nods. "He likes our cave", his head turning to Rin. "Good", Rin proudly says.

The storm outside develops and it promptly starts to pour, the pouring rain and rumble of thunder slowly sooth the three of them into a peaceful calmness. After Makoto had finished his exploration of the cave, he had sat down near the mermen by the water. Rin and Haru had curled up into each other, Haru dozing off as Rin lazily licked and groomed his dark hair. Makoto watched while he felt a small pang of loneliness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, this chapter was really fun to write. I tried making it a lil longer too. Though I think I got lazy by the end haha 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> ((Don't worry Mako! You'll get your fair share of licking and grooming too! ;) ))

**Author's Note:**

> So this was kinda inspired by this! 
> 
> mermen-in-my-teacup(.)tumblr(.)com/post/58906098282/i-think-rin-would-be-the-one-who-cares-the-most
> 
> I literally laughed for minutes at Rin's face and loved the idea so much I had to write a drabble. But now I'm thinking of making this into a chaptered story and see how these dorks will develop their incoming friendship. uwu 
> 
> It has been a very long time since I've written anything. I'm not good at it, and English isn't my first language so I feel like it's harder for me. But we will see how it goes...
> 
> Summer break is almost here so I'm hoping to get a chapter out every 2 weeks or so! 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! I would love to get some feedback on my first Free! fanfic! :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> よろしく　おねがいします！


End file.
